


Blissful Surprise

by littlestarofthewest (sternchencas)



Series: A Life Full of Surprises [2]
Category: Red Dead Redemption (Video Games)
Genre: Fluff, Hot stone massage, Multi, Period Cramps, light body dysphoria
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-26
Updated: 2020-03-26
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:34:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,437
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23333194
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sternchencas/pseuds/littlestarofthewest
Summary: You feel like your insides are being ripped out when Charles finds you. Lucky for you, he knows just the thing to help you out.
Relationships: Charles Smith (Red Dead Redemption) & Reader
Series: A Life Full of Surprises [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1677985
Kudos: 21





	Blissful Surprise

**Author's Note:**

> This was a request on tumblr for a trans male reader. I'm putting together a series of requests that can be read stand-alone or as one story. Check out the tags to make sure this is something you want to read!

You wander through camp behind wagons and tents, trying your best not to be seen by anybody before you can make it to Arthur's tent. Your lower belly is ablaze with pain, and you're not quite sure how long you'll still be able to stand on your own.

Ever since you joined the Van der Linde Gang eight months ago, you've been lucky most of the time. Only twice, your cramps have been so bad that you couldn't just ignore them. The first time, you've been on a job with Arthur, and he almost dragged you to a doctor, convinced that you might die on him if you didn't get help.

Despite not liking to talk about it, you explained to Arthur what you're problem was. He took you to a hotel then and fuzzed over you for two days until you felt good enough to ride back to camp. Back then, Arthur promised to help you should it ever get so bad again. When it happened the second time, he made up a bullshit story about a job to get you out of camp without the others knowing about your problem. 

You've already come up with a good excuse to leave camp this time, but in your current state, you can't imagine being out on the road by yourself. You need Arthur. Lingering by his tent, you see Charles approaching. He puts down a few well-crafted arrows on the table in Arthur's tent before walking past your hiding spot.

At first, you take a step back, but the pain is making you dizzy, and for all you know, Arthur might not come back for days.

"Charles?" you ask, your voice barely audible to yourself, but Charles turns to you immediately.

"What are you doing behind there?" he asks, walking up to you.

You swallow your answer when a wave off pain rolls through your stomach, and Charles' arms close around you to hold you upright.

"Are you hurt?" he asks, worry in his voice.

You shake your head, and Charles leads you over to Arthur's cot, forcing you to sit down. "You're in pain," he says, matter-of-factly. "Where does it hurt?"

The only thing you can do is hunch over and hold your stomach as an answer. Charles kneels down next to you, so he can look into your face. "Did you eat something bad? You might be poisoned."

"No," you grunt, "it's nothing like that. I'm not sick."

You see understanding gracing Charles' face. "Cramps? They seem really bad."

It's a mystery to you how he got there so quickly, but now that he knows, Charles might be able to help you. 

"Can you get me out of camp?" you ask, trying your best to breathe through the pain. "I don't want everybody to know."

"Arthur's been helping you with this?" Charles asks. When you nod, he gets to his feet. "I think I might be able to help you. Stay here, I'll be right back. I promise."

You nod, although you're not quite sure what Charles is getting at. How can he possibly help you other than getting you out of sight? But it's not like you can walk away anyhow. Charles closes the drapes around Arthur's wagon to shield you from view before walking away with quick steps. All you can do is fall over and roll yourself up into a ball, enduring whatever your body has in store for you next.

Trying your best to just breathe, you lose track of time, but finally, Charles comes back. He's holding a huge bowl, and whatever's in it seems heavy, even for him. Charles puts it down on Arthur's table and makes sure that the drapes around the wagon are still fully closed before turning to you.

"There might be a way to help you with the pain, but you need to pull up your shirt," Charles says.

Fear shoots through you like any time when somebody talks about taking off your clothes. "Why?"

Charles reaches into the bowl and takes out a dark, round stone. "Here, touch it."

Putting your fingers on the stone, you can feel that it's wet and warm, on the brink of being too hot. "What's it for?"

"To put on your body," Charles explains. "I have more of them. The warmth will help you relax. I know it doesn't seem like much, but it works."

You hesitate for a moment, but the pain is still shooting daggers right into your core, and then again, it's Charles. After Arthur, he's been the most accepting of you after you joined the gang. You had a lot of fun on your hunts, and Charles has such a gentle nature that you always feel calmer just by having him closeby. 

"Fine," you say, and you sit up to take off your shirt, "I'd try anything if it just stops."

"It will," Charles promises you with a reassuring smile. 

You lie back down, trying to get into a comfortable position, and Charles takes a small bottle out of his pocket. "This is a scented oil. I'll put it on your skin before using the stones."

All you can do is nod. You won't back out now, but you're still not quite prepared for being touched by Charles. Your heart hammers in your chest when he steps closer. After putting a good amount of oil into his hand, he rubs his hands together before putting them flat on your stomach.

Staying still, Charles lets you get used to the touch. Then he moves his hands upward over your chest and shoulders and back down to your stomach, covering your skin with the oil. It smells good, and his movements are so purposeful that you trust that he knows what he's doing.

"Does that feel alright?" Charles asks, and when you nod, he walks over to the bowl, getting more stones. "I will place these on your body. Tell me if it doesn't feel right or too hot."

You nod again, and Charles starts with two stones under your shoulders and neck, then he puts two under your hands before placing a big round one on your stomach and smaller ones up your chest and on your face.

"I wish I had more," he sighs, looking down at his work.

While trying to get used to the feeling of the stones on your body, it takes you a little time to process his words. "Wait, you brought those with you from camp to camp?"

"Miss Grimshaw would kill me if she knew," Charles says, the smallest of smiles playing around his lips. "But they're special stones, you can't get them everywhere."

"I'm glad you brought them," you say. The pain is still throbbing in your stomach, but it seems duller, and you're more focused on the weight of the stones. Besides, the warmth is getting to you, making you a little sleepy.

Charles takes one of your hands then, his fingers digging gently into the insides of your hands before carefully massaging along each finger. It seems to lift a strain in your body that you didn't know was there. By the time Charles is done with your second hand, you're melting into the cot, not sure if you can ever get up again.

Using both his hands and small warm stones, Charles massages your arms, shoulders, and face. You welcome each touch, the warmth holding you in a bubble of bliss. Finally, Charles goes back to your stomach. He turns the stone in a slow circle, and while it makes no sense, it feels as if your pain is getting sucked out by it.

Soon, Charles takes the stone away, running his hands over your stomach instead. He still uses motions that make a circle, and since his hands never lose contact with your skin, everything stays warm and relaxed. You drift off a little, Charles' voice coming from far away as he puts a blanket over you before taking away the stones.

"Just stay like this for a while, I'm sure Arthur wouldn't mind," he says, carefully touching your forehead. "I'll be back in a bit to see how you're doing."

He's about to walk away because it takes you so much effort to speak. "Thank you, Charles."

"Anything for you," he says before leaving the tent, bringing the same warmth to your heart that he brought to your body. 

You already considered the two of you friends before, but now you feel a lot closer to Charles. Sighing deeply, you feel nothing but comfort. The pain is gone, and it stays gone.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! :) Feel free to drop by Tumblr as well. I'm there @[littlestarofthewest](HTTP://littlestarofthewest.tumblr.com)


End file.
